Hanging apparatus for a dumbbell

ABSTRACT

A hanging apparatus (10) for a dumbbell (12) of the type having a straight cylindrical bar (14), a sleeve (16) on the straight cylindrical bar (14) and weights (18) at opposite ends. The hanging apparatus (10) comprises a frame (20) having a hook (22) at a first end. A structure (24) is for attaching a second end of the frame (20) to the straight cylindrical bar (14) of a dumbbell (12). The hook (22) will suspend the dumbbell (12) from a support shaft (26), enabling a person (28) using the dumbbell (12) not to reach down to a floor to pick up the dumbbell (12) and lower the dumbbell (12) back to the floor upon completion of a workout. These movements would put undue strain on forearm (30) and elbow joint ligaments and can cause severe damage to the entire arm muscles, tendons and tissues of the person (28).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The instant invention relates generally to exercise equipment and morespecifically it relates to a hanging apparatus for a dumbbell. Thehanging apparatus for a dumbbell eliminates the need for a person tostretch when reaching down to pick up the dumbbell off of the floor. Thepresent invention will suspend the dumbbell from a support shaft at acomfortable height, off of the floor for easy pick-up and return,therefore, preventing damage to muscle, tendon and arm tissues.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Weight lifting is a sports activity that may have any of severalobjectives. Weight lifting may be done competitively as a test ofstrength or as bodybuilding to increase muscle mass and definition. Manypeople also engage in weight lifting as part of an exercise regimenusing it to build strength and stamina or as a part of physical therapyto speed recovery from an illness.

Weight lifting for physical conditioning is more properly called weighttraining. In addition to barbells and dumbbells, the equipment used inweight training may include a variety of other resistance devices, suchas Nautilus machines. Many athletes, including football and baseballplayers, swimmers, bicyclists, golfers, and runners, engage in weighttraining to build their basic strength and to promote physical fitness.Physicians often prescribe supervised weight training as a means ofregaining strength and coordination after an illness or injury.

Bodybuilding is a special branch of weight training that emphasizessymmetrical, balanced, and clearly defined muscular development.Specially devised exercises using dumbbells, barbells, and other typesof equipment make it possible for the bodybuilder to exercise each partof the body and to develop muscle mass and definition to a remarkableextent. Bodybuilders engage in competitions where the judging is basedon which contestant has the most impressive appearance rather than whichis actually strongest.

Numerous exercise equipment have been provided in prior art, that areadapted to be utilized fore the purposes of enhancing musculardevelopment. While these units may be suitable for the particularpurpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for thepurposes of the present invention as heretofore described.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a hangingapparatus for a dumbbell that will overcome the shortcomings of theprior art devices.

Another object is to provide a hanging apparatus for a dumbbell thatcontains a frame having a hook at a first end and the frame attached ata second end to the bar of the dumbbell, so that the hook will suspendthe dumbbell from a support shaft, enabling a person using the dumbbellnot to reach down to a floor to pick up the dumbbell, or lower thedumbbell back to the floor upon completion of a workout, in which thesemovements would put undue strain on forearm and elbow joint ligamentsand can cause severe damage to the entire arm muscles, tendons andtissues.

An additional object is to provide a hanging apparatus for a dumbbellthat has a foam pad on a hook end, so that it will function as an armbrace against a forearm of the person when doing curl lift exercises.

A further object is to provide a hanging apparatus for a dumbbell thatis simple and easy to use.

A still further object is to provide a hanging apparatus for a dumbbellthat is economical in cost to manufacture.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the descriptionproceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this inventionmay be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings,attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings areillustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specificconstruction illustrated and described within the scope of the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the presentinvention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes betterunderstood when considered in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which like reference characters designate the same orsimilar parts throughout the several views, and wherein;

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the present invention attached toa bar of a barbell and the frame extending upwardly.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view taken in the direction of arrow 2 inFIG. 1, with the hook end of the frame in engagement with a supportshaft and weights placed on the bar.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view taken in the direction of arrow 3 inFIG. 2, showing the support shaft and the weights in dotted lines.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view similar to

FIG. 2, showing the frame extending downwardly to function as an armbrace against the forearm of a person performing a curl lift exercise.

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view taken in the direction of arrow 5 inFIG. 4.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistentlythroughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similiar referencecharacters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIGS. 1through 5 illustrate the present invention being a hanging apparatus 10for a dumbbell 12. With regard to the reference numerals used, thefollowing numbering is used throughout the various drawing figures.

    ______________________________________                                        10        hanging apparatus                                                   12        dumbbell                                                            14        straight cylindrical bar of 12                                      16        sleeve of 12 on 14                                                  18        weight of 12 on 14                                                  20        frame of 10                                                         22        hook on 20                                                          24        attaching structure of 10                                           26        support shaft                                                       28        person                                                              30        forearm of 28                                                       32        wire loop for 20                                                    34        straight arm of 32                                                  36        expanded opening between 22 and 34                                  38        durable strong material (metal) for 20 and 40                       40        clamp of 24                                                         41        hand                                                                42        pad of 10 on 22                                                     44        cylindrical foam tube for 42                                        ______________________________________                                    

The dumbbell 12 has a straight cylindrical bar 14, a sleeve 16 on thestraight cylindrical bar 14 and weights 18 at opposite ends. The hangingapparatus 10 comprises a frame 20 having a hook 22 at a first end. Astructure 24 is for attaching a second end of the frame 20 to thestraight cylindrical bar 14 of a dumbbell 12. The hook 22 will suspendthe dumbbell 12 from a support shaft 26, enabling a person 28 using thedumbbell 12 not to reach down to a floor to pick up the dumbbell 12 andlower the dumbbell 12 back to the floor upon completion of a workout.These movements would put undue strain on forearm 30 and elbow jointligaments and can cause severe damage to the entire arm muscles, tendonsand tissues of the person 28.

The frame 20 is a wire loop 32 forming the hook 22, with two spacedapart straight arms 34 extending from the hook 22. The hook 22 is angleddownwardly and outwardly away from the straight arms 34, thereby formingan expanded opening 36 to help aid the person 28 in suspending thedumbbell 12 from the support shaft 26. The frame 20 is fabricated out ofa durable strong material 38, wherein the durable strong material 38 ismetal.

The attaching structure 24 consists of a pair of clamps 40. Each clamp40 located at an end of one straight arm 34 of the wire loop 32 of theframe 20 wraps about an end of the sleeve 16 on the straight cylindricalbar 14 of the dumbbell 12, so as to allow the person 28 to freely graspthe sleeve 16 by a hand 41 and lift the dumbbell 12 to disengage thehook 22 from the support shaft 26.

Each clamp 40 is fabricated out of the durable strong material 38,wherein the durable strong material 38 is metal. Each clamp 40 isintegral with a respective straight arm 34 of the wire loop 32 of theframe 20.

The hanging apparatus 10 for a dumbbell 12 further contains a pad 42carried on the hook 22 of the wire loop 32 of the frame 20. When theframe 20 extends downwardly from the straight cylindrical bar 14 of thedumbbell 12, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the frame 20 will function as anarm brace with the pad 42 against the forearm 30 of the person 28, toperform curl lift exercises. The pad 42 is a cylindrical foam tube 44,which fits over a central portion of the hook 22 of the wire loop 32 ofthe frame 20.

The attaching structure 24, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, are a pair ofclamps 40 integral with the straight arms 34. Other ways of attachingthe frame 20 to the straight cylindrical bar 14 of the dumbbell 12 canbe by using different types of clamps and by welding the straight arms34 directly to the straight cylindrical bar 14.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together may also find a useful application in other types ofmethods differing from the type described above.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown anddescribed are pointed out in the annexed claims, it is not intended tobe limited to the details above, since it will be understood thatvarious omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the formsand details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be madeby those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spiritof the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge,readily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.

What is claimed is new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims:
 1. The method of lifting weights usinga dumbbell having a straight cylindrical bar with weights adjacent thetwo ends thereof comprising the steps of:a) attaching said straightcylindrical bar between said weights to the distal ends of a U-shapedframe with the closed end of said frame being bent over untwisted toform a V-shaped hook; b) placing said hook over a support bar therebysuspending said dumbbell above a floor; and c) grasping said bar betweensaid weights and lifting and lowering said dumbbell away from saidsupport bar without said dumbbell contacting the floor, said closed endof said U-shaped frame acting as a brace against a arm of the user whensaid dumbbell is being lifted and lowered by a user.